10 Foods For Vibrant Skin

Ulyana Michailov NDMarch 13, 20112

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Healthy skin is beautiful skin and is something we can only achieve by
nourishing it from the inside out and also using only natural products.
Its functions are underestimated when compared to the rest of the bodily
systems but without the skin, we simply couldn’t survive.

Nutritious foods eaten consistently will begin to rebuild the cellular
structure but this will take time as the skin has many layers. What you
eat and drink now, will only be seen in 4 to 6 weeks time. Commit to a
natural, whole foods diet and your skin will become healthy and
beautiful.

1. Lemon- The clarifier

A lemon a day, juiced and sipped with water first thing in the morning
or at any break is a wonderful complexion clearer. This little ritual
gives your metabolism a kick start, and your liver a much needed mini
cleanse and your skin a vitamin C boost. Lemons are very cleansing to
the body, so they help clarify the complexion. Another great ways to
include it squeezed over salad, vegetables or sliced in your jug of
water, by the end of the day you have infused the lemony goodness into
your drink.

2. Water- The hydrator

Water makes up around 75 to 85% of your body; it's in every part of your
body including your teeth and hair. Even though we've heard it all
before, drinking pure water hydrates your body and skin. Keeping the
cells hydrated, so they can easily uptake nutrients and remove waste.

How much to drink?

It depends on how much cooked food or dense food you eat. If you have a
salad for lunch everyday and fresh fruit as a snack, this reduces your
need for water. Caffeine, exercise frequency, spicy food, sugar animal
foods, alcohol, and salt all increase your need for water. The warmer
months also require you drink more. Allow your natural thirst to dictate
how much water you need. 6 to 8 glasses a day is a good estimate.

3. Beet root- The blood cleanser

One of my favourite high-maintenance vegetables! High maintenance
because it is red, juicy and will stain anything it lands on. Beetroot
is a blood cleanser and has a slight laxative effect. Skin health relies
on healthy blood and circulation. The healthier your blood, the
healthier your skin because this is where your skin gets most of its
nutrition from.

Beetroot has been a popular ingredient throughout Eastern Europe and is
found in many soup and salad dishes. Claimed to be a ‘blood cleaner’
beetroot makes the perfect spring salad to accompany your lunch or
evening meal. Serve with grilled meats and potato dishes.

Russian Beetroot Salad

Ingredients...

4 medium sized beetroots

1/4 cup of lightly crushed walnuts

1/2 clove garlic, finely diced

Dressing...

1/2 cup organic yogurt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 lemon juiced

1/4 bunch dill chopped

Salt, pepper to taste

Method...

Wash, peel and grate the beetroot in a food processor using a fine
blade

Place beetroot in a bowl, mix in walnuts and garlic gently

In a separate bowl mix the yoghurt, lemon juice, olive oil, dill and
salt/pepper to form a dressing

Mix the dressing with the beetroot and chill in the fridge until
serving

Garnish with a sprig of parsley or anything green and sliced apples

4. Parsley- The healer

Parsley is commonly used as a garnish to main dishes. It is rich in
vitamin A, C and chlorophyll. This combination is unique in that it is
perfect for skin rejuvenation and healing from scars or breakouts. It
also contains iron, folate, magnesium, manganese, copper and flavonoids
(apiin & luteolin), which helps protect against the effects of
free radical damage. So much nutrition in such a small plant, it's very
popular in the Middle East, where tabouli is a common salad dish.

Tabouli

This is a very fresh, cleansing and simple tabouli. Perfect to accompany
a heavier meal, in a wrap or on its own. Almonds are used as a wheat
alternative and because they complement the parsley so nicely, adding a
mild crunch and the essential fatty acids so important for skin health.
This recipe is great for people with acne because it heals and cleanses
the digestive system. If you're not a parsley fan or can only handle a
small amount, just add this recipe as a garnish to your meals. You'll
still be getting some benefits.

Ingredients...

2 cups of chopped parsley (continental or curly)

1 cup of finely chopped almonds

1/4 cup of fresh mint chopped

1/2 cup of finely diced onion

1/4 cup of chopped cucumber

1/4 cup of chopped tomatoes (or cherry tomato cut in halves)

1 avocado sliced

Lemon juice, salt and pepper

Olive oil

Method...

Very simple, prepare the ingredients chop and process as needed then
mix.

Add lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil to taste.

Garnish with the avocado.

5. Brown rice- The digestive broom

This staple in Asian countries has become a popular grain in the West.
The great thing about rice is how low allergenic it is because it
contains no gluten. I prefer brown rice because of its taste and the way
it feels after I eat it but it is also amazing for the digestive system.
Brown rice is a good comfort food and excellent tummy filler on a cold
day. It’s also a good "broom" for the digestive tract and it is high in
silica, one of the minerals important for skin health and beauty. Silica
is present in high amounts in youth and decreases as we age. The ratio
of silicon to calcium is a biological marker of youth. The best ways to
include brown rice into your diet is by using it as a white rice
replacement. Alicia Silverstone in The Kind Diet suggests making a big
pot of it and adds it to every meal, lunches and dinners. It's
stabilizing and good tummy filler, a great way to wean you off the pasta
or wheat products.

6. Green tea- The anti-ager

This cleansing hot beverage is packed with pure goodness. It benefits
the skin because it contains high antioxidant levels, called
polyphenols. A diet high in antioxidants is helpful for reducing
premature anti-aging because it can prevent excessive free radical
damage. If the Japanese can maintain beautiful skin like they do right
up until old age then they must be onto something. I'm speaking of the
Japanese that maintain traditional dietary methods with a pot of green
tea on-the-go, and enjoyed throughout the day.

Green tea does contain caffeine, some variety’s more than others at
approximately 30 to 50mg per cup. A regular cup of coffee contains
around 95mg. Some people are sensitive to caffeine, while others
tolerate it well. Be cautious with caffeine if you are under long
term stress conditions or have adrenal exhaustion.

How to brew the perfect cup of green tea…

Always use loose leaf, organic green tea.

Use a ceramic pot (available from Asian marts) or a plunger.

1 tablespoon per cup of water, increase or decrease according to
taste preferences.

Use water that is just under boiling point, not to burn the tea.

Enjoy on its own or add lemon and honey. Can be chilled to make a
base for iced tea, packed full of antioxidants.

7. Avocado- The moisturizer

Unheated oils are good for the skin, especially the ones from the
vegetable kingdom. Technically, avocado is a fatty fruit. It contains
high amounts of omega 6 fatty acids, which is not fattening because the
oils are easily used by the body for energy. They also contain lecithin;
which helps to reduce blood cholesterol levels. The skin needs "good"
fats to moisturize the skin from the inside out. Its useless slapping on
moisturizers when your diet is lacking in the oils it needs to
moisturize the skin from the inside out. Cutting back on the good stuff
will only make your skin look less than sparkling. I like avocado
because it's easy to eat, just add it to salad or make a dip and you
have eaten some nutrient dense essential fatty acids.

8. Goji berries- The glow berry

Goji berries have been used in Chinese herbal medicine for thousands of
years to improve Qi (life force) and nourish the Yin and blood. These
berries grow well in harsh climates, giving it strengthening and
“tonifying” properties. They taste delicious either fresh, dried or
rehydrated (just place in water and they plump up in 10 minutes). They
have been recorded as being a complete protein source; contain
carotenoids, lutein (antioxidant), vitamin C, B's and E. The glow is
from the beta-carotene, to which our bodies convert into vitamin A. As
mentioned earlier Vitamin A is a skin healer but it's the high amount
of beta-carotene (antioxidant) that gives your skin more colour, more of
a golden glow especially if you allow a little gentle sun exposure
during the warmer months. Betacarotene won't turn you orange and it
won't poison you but will build up gently in the skin giving you more
colour to your complexion.

9. Almonds- The ancient beauty secret

In no other culture was beauty and body care so important than to the
Egyptians. Cleopatra was said to have recorded a book of beauty secrets
she perfected. Almonds were one of the most commonly used cosmetic
ingredients. Besides its external benefits (sweet almond oil makes
gorgeous body oil) almonds eaten everyday will help keep your skin clear
and healthy. The raw nut is alkaline and contains monounsaturated fats,
vitamin E and is a high protein food. Almonds contain magnesium, which
promotes blood flow and aids the nervous system and calcium. Just a
handful of almonds a day will be good for your skin and in time you will
notice the difference.

10. Seaweed- The mineralizer

Have you ever noticed how youthful Japanese skin is? I've seen Japanese
grandmothers with skin that is truly timeless. Along with the daily
green tea, the Japanese eat sea vegetables, a totally different food
group that deserves more attention. Seaweeds are high in minerals,
absorbed from the ocean. Iodine (important for the thyroid
health), magnesium, iron, calcium, sodium and now a very good food to
help detox heavy metals from the body due to high levels of alginic
acid, which bind with any heavy metals in the intestines. Minerals are
important for maintaining proper hydration levels, nervous system
function and healthiest blood type composition. The detox effect helps keep you
squeaky clean on the inside making your skin look healthy and vibrant.

Seaweeds are also a source of glyconutrients. Glyconutrients are a set
of necessary monosaccharides (essential sugars) that are vital to the
correct structure and function of human cells. These sugars are required
by cells to perform many functions including cell protection,
replication, and recognition and tissue regeneration. They help the
cells "communicate" with the other cells.

The best way to include them is by enjoying nori rolls more often or
wakame salad (from Sushi bars) or in supplements form. Nori, dulse,
kombu/ kelp or Irish moss, wakame and arame are different types of
seaweed/ algae. If you are gifted in the kitchen then soak and throw
them in a mixed salad or find a good supplement from your health food
shop.

Nori Rolls with cauliflower “rice”

Ingredients…

Nori seaweed

Filling…

Carrot, finely grated

Cucumber, sliced thinly

Capsicum, sliced thinly

Spring onion, sliced thinly

Avocado

“Rice”…

Cauliflower, finely chopped in the food processor

1/4 cup sesame seeds (can be toasted)

Seasoning…

Tamari sauce, horseradish, Celtic sea salt and rice vinegar to taste

Method…

Prepare all fillings, by either thinly slicing the ingredients or
grating with the food processor

The “rice” needs to be finely chopped in the food processor, mix in
the sesame seeds and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar and a good pinch of salt

Using the nori paper, arrange the “rice” and fillings neatly- be
cautious not to use too much or you’ll overfill the roll, leaving a mess

Dampen the rolls with a spray bottle filled with spring water, until
the sea weed is well hydrated

Serve with soy and horseradish to taste

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Ulyana Michailov ND

Ulyana Michailov is a naturopath and acupuncturist from Adelaide, Australia. She also holdsqualifications in herbal medicine, nutrition, and traditional Chinese medicine.
Growing up Ulyana would consistently seek out the wilderness; she still describes herself asa “hippie at heart”. Her life experience and many unanswered questions directed her to studyingtraditional medicine, yoga, taking up a passion for plant-based cuisine and writing, readingextensively and whole food cooking.
Ulyana started her own natural therapies clinic and began writing both professionally and on her blog. Inspired by the health improvement from her clientele and positive response to her writingshe has committed to yoga teacher training.
She is passionate about raw food and vegetarian nutrition, mind- body exercise, skin health,women’s health, detoxification, organic gardening and permaculture, spirituality and art in all itsforms. Her dream is to continue learning, evolving and sharing inspiration and resources aboutthis way of life.
Ulyana’s approach is informative and holistic; she believes we are ever evolving creations thatevery little step in the right direction will eventually lead us to our dreams.